Page 227 - Mastering SolidWorks

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198 CHAPTER 6 GettinG More froM Your SketcheS

Using Colors and Line Styles with Sketches
Custom colors and line styles are usually associated with drawings, not sketches; in fact, they are
most valuable when used for drawings. In sketches, this functionality is little known or used, but
it’s still of value in certain situations.

Working in Color Display Mode
The Color Display Mode button is found on the Line Format toolbar. In drawings, you can use
the Color Display Mode button to switch sketch entities on the drawing between displaying the
assigned line or layer color and displaying the sketch status color. It has exactly the same effect in
part and assembly sketches.
When you select the button, the sketch state colors are used. When the button is not selected,
any custom colors that you have applied to the sketch entities appear. If the button is not selected
and you have not applied colors to the entities, the default sketch state colors are used.
You can use sketch colors for emphasis, to make selected sketch entities stand out, or to make
sketches with various functions immediately distinguishable. Color Display mode has an effect
only on an active sketch. Once a sketch is closed, it returns to the gray default color for inactive
sketch entities.

Assigning Line Color
Line color enables you to assign color to entities in an active sketch. The Color Display Mode tool
determines whether the assigned color or the default sketch status colors are used. Chapter 28,
“Using Layers, Line Fonts, and Color,” has more information on this functionality, especially
related to drawings.

Using the Edit Sketch or Curve Color Tool
The Edit Sketch Or Curve Color tool can be found on the View toolbar. You can use the Edit
Sketch Or Curve Color tool to assign color to an inactive sketch or to a sketch block to replace the
default gray color. The color that you assign to sketches in this way displays only when the
sketch is inactive. The sketches also follow the toggle state of the Color Display Mode button. For
example, if the Color Display Mode button is selected, then inactive sketches display as gray.
When the Color Display Mode button is not selected, then inactive sketches display in any color
that you have assigned by using the Edit Color tool.
When you use this tool to color a sketch block, the block displays the color inside the active
sketch. You cannot use the Line Color tool mentioned earlier to assign color to a block.

Assigning Line Thickness and Line Style
The Line Thickness and Line Style tools function independently from the Color Display Mode
button, but they are still used only when the sketch is active. As soon as a sketch that contains
entities with edited thickness and style is closed, the display goes back to the normal line
weight and font.
To assign a thickness or a style, you can select the sketch entities to be changed, click the
button, and then select the thickness or style. Although a single sketch entity may have only a
single thickness or style, you can use multiple thicknesses or styles within a single sketch.
Figure 6.17 shows a sketch with the thickness and style edited.